Citizens on Different Terms? : A Study on Civics Teachers´Conditions for Citizenshis Education on Avademic and Vocational Programmes (English)

Abstract [en]

The aim of this study has been to broaden the understanding of the opportunities and challenges ofcitizenship education by analyzing Civics teachers' experiences of translating their perceptions ofthe mission into practice on academic and vocational programmes. More precisely, the broadeninghas been accomplished through describing similarities and differences between the conditions onthe basis of qualitative interviews with three teachers. Furthermore, descriptions have been formedthrough the use of a theoretical framework consisting of Gert Biesta's socialization, qualification,and subjectification dimensions on one hand, and frame factor theory on the other.

The findings of the study suggests that two of the teachers emphasize socialization, allemphasize qualification and two emphasize subjectification. Within the qualification dimension, adistinction was noted between external means (referring to contextually bound ways of participationand influence), which are related to socialization, and internal means (referring to factualknowledge, perspective-taking and critical thinking), which are related to subjectification. Theframe factor analysis of the teachers' experiences indicated that one participant emphasizes inparticular the similarities in the challenge of realizing socializing elements and external means as aresult of existing pedagogic frame factors; most notably the factually oriented curriculum. Regarding differences, which are substantially more prominent, it emerged that opportunities areprimarily linked to academic programmes while challenges are linked to vocational programmes.

At academic programmes, there were particularly better opportunities for qualification interms of internal means (especially factual knowledge) as a result of student-related frame factorssuch as a positive attitude towards studies and the subject. The results suggest that these factors canbenefit both qualification and subjectification, if these are combined. Other student-related factorssuch as willingness to speak and subject-relevant prerequisites emerge as valuable resources forqualification and subjectification amongst students at vocational programmes, but they are in somerespects also prevented from being sufficiently utilized. Willingness to speak is prevented byresource-related frame factors such as lack of time in combination with pedagogic frame factorssuch as a substance-rich curriculum, while subject-relevant prerequisites are prevented bydeficiencies in the linguistic knowledge of students with immigrant backgrounds.